Love Is Like Poker
by Nikki Jay Decker
Summary: His name is Luxord, Number X. He's a gambler like me, but it seems to me that he cares more about the game than anything else. His beautiful blue eyes can easily see right through mine, & his accent makes me weak in the knees. Summary inside.


Summary: His name is Luxord, Number X. He's a gambler like me, but it seems to me that he cares more about the game than anything else. His beautiful blue eyes can easily see right through mine, & his accent makes me weak in the knees. Axel's told me about this feeling, but what I don't get is this: why can I feel this even without a heart?

AN: This was actually meant to be just a one-shot, but it ended up being a chapter to a story. Also, the reason it's rated M is for later chapters to come, a lot of violence, indicated rape. Please rate & review~

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Number XIV. My name is Shadowx, or Number XIV to most of Organization XIII. Out of all of the Organization members, I'm one of the girls here, along with Larxene. If you were to ask me why I'm here, I wouldn't be able to answer you. Xemnas The Superior has told me it's because I have a power strong enough to open the doors to Kingdom Hearts. I don't exactly know what Kingdom Hearts is, but I want to know why Xemnas needs my power to open it. You're probably wondering how I ended up here in the first place, huh?

I gambled, bet my own heart against myself, and I lost it to a Four of a Kind. What's really strange is the man who I had been playing against that night. He looks and sounds exactly like Number X, Luxord. Blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes, sexy English accent, and a gorgeous smile that caught my eye when I walked by his table. I've asked Axel multiple times about who won my heart that night, but he's never answered me. It seems as if everyone in Organization XIII knows who won my heart, but me. Who knows? Maybe it was Luxord who won my heart that night.

_I walked through those doors, listening to the people talk to others, and listening to the sound of Poker chips hitting the tables. I had been here before, in Sin City that is, and I was back again to play Poker against the ultimate Poker champion. No one knows his name, where he came from, or why he's here. All I know is that I wanted to take the champion title away from him, and I would do anything to beat him once and for all. I looked down the Poker tables, eyeing each player closely, searching for him. Nothing. I sighed to myself before taking a seat at an empty table, waiting for players to show up for a nice round of Texas Holdem. I turned around in my seat, and looked at the door, waiting for the 'champion' to walk through. He would dazzle women, be paid to have sex with them, and even bribed to quit the game, but nothing would make him give up the love he had for gambling. As I watched the door, I could hear people talking amongst themselves, whispering about tonight's game between the champion and myself. It surprised everyone how a rookie at Texas Holdem would make is this far, and go all in to beat the Poker King. I pulled my phone out, and looked at the time, noting that he had five minutes before the game started. As if on cue, he walked in through those doors, hood covering his face, pride in each step he took toward the table I occupied, and that sexy chuckle that had worked its way to my own heart. He removed his hood, and I saw him. Beautiful blue eyes, blonde hair, almost buzz cut, at least two piercings in his right ear, and three in his left. Even though I despised him for humiliating me in our last game, I couldn't help but fall in love with how he looked, and his accent didn't make things easier. He looked over at me, and flashed that wicked smirk at me that had caught my attention the first time I came down here. He took a seat across from me, and right then and there, it seemed as it time had halted when our eyes met. He smirked at me once more, and I returned it, moving my glasses over my head._

_"This should be a good game tonight, won't it, my dear Shadow?" He asked as the dealer dealt the cards among us. As the dealer deals the cards, I notice that I start out with the best hand there is; Pocket Aces, so I re-raised the pot to flush everybody but the Poker King out. "I'm gonna call your bet." I raised an eyebrow, and silence fell over us, waiting for the flop. The flop is: Ace of Hearts, King of Spades, and Four of Hearts._

_"I'll check the flop." I said, moving my hair out of my eyes._

_"I'm gonna go ahead and check the flop as well." His smirk returned, and he looked me over, reading my facial expressions. The dealer put the next card down which was the turn card. King of Clubs._

_"I'm gonna go all in." I said, pushing the chips in. I looked at him, and saw the amazement in his eyes. Please don't call me, I thought, chewing on my lower lip softly._

_"I'm amazed that you have the guts to go all in," he started. "I'm sorry, hunny. But, I have to make the call." I look at him, fear in my eyes before lowering my head, arguing mentally with myself._

_This isn't good, I thought. I turned my cards over, thinking I have the best hand. Aces over Kings. "Full House." He chuckled silently, and shook his head at me._

_"Sorry, hunny, but not this time," he states as he turns over his Pocket Kings, and shows Four of a Kind, beating my Full House. "Four of a Kind, sweetie. Read 'em and weep. Game over." As the dealer hands the chips to him, I can feel a tightness forming in my chest as if my heart were being ripped out of my body. "When you went all in, you bet your own heart against yourself, Shadow. And you lost it." I looked at him, and feel my body grow numb as if to counteract the pain. I held my head, and like before, it seemed as if time had halted as the pain increased, making me scream. He chuckled softly at my pain, and walked over to me before getting down to my level, grabbing my chin and making me looking in to those now harsh blue eyes. "This is what happens when you gamble with your own heart. You lose it. Forever, Shadowx." I closed my eyes tightly as tears rolled down my cheeks from the pain, and as if on cue, everything went black._

"Number XIV... Shadowx." The Superior said, looking down at me. My hood was pulled over my head to avoid any unwelcome stares to my panther ears, and to avoid any questions about them. I pinned my ears back, and closed my eyes when feeling a sharp pain hit my head, making me release a small whimper. It was audible for them to hear, but it seemed as if no one took notice of it when Xemnas spoke again. "Dismissed." With that being said, Xemnas left the room. I opened my eyes, soon seeing one of the members standing across from me, and looked up at him, meeting a harsh gold stare. He had a scar in the shape of an 'x' across his face, and his hair was a long, almost to the bottom of his back.

"Axel, you will be her mentor." The male said, looking at the redhead sitting in his chair. The redhead known as Axel opened his mouth to protest, but stopped when the male in front of me returned his attention back to me. "I expect good reports from our newest member." Not long after saying that, he vanished from our sight.

"Poor thing. She hasn't even said a word, let alone moved a muscle since she stepped in here." A female spoke. She giggled in a taunting way, only to be silenced by a male voice.

"You're one to talk, Larxene." The voice said. "You were the exact same way when you came in to the Organization." A soft chuckle came after his statement. "Besides, she's probably not used to what's going on yet." I felt a small smile creep upon my lips at his statement, and perked my ears up slightly.

"Maybe we should test her. Let her know what she's up against."

"Now, now, Xaldin. Let's not scare the poor girl." The voice that spoke now was comforting. "At least, not until we know she's ready to fight." I pinned my ears back, and bit my lower lip, revealing the tips of my small cat fangs.

"I say we just fight her now." Larxene said. She giggled in that same taunting manner, only to be silenced once more.

"Marluxia, Larxene, back off." Silence fell over the room, only to be broken by the same voice. "Saïx has put me in charge to be her mentor. If I find any one in this room trying to pick a fight from her or hearing from her about it, you'll have to deal with me. Personally." I could sense the protection in his voice when he spoke, defending me from the others as if he were protecting his younger sister from a group of bullies.

"I was just joking with the poor defenseless thing." Larxene commented. Her words carried poison as she spoke each one, aiming them toward me. It took a lot to get me tempted; Hell, it took more than a lot to get to me, but when I heard the poison dripping from her words, I perked my ears up in instinct.

"Shut up." It was a whisper, but it caught the attention I had been avoiding not long ago. I stood there, and angled my ears, waiting for a response from the female.

"Excuse me, XIV?" She snarled, anger in her voice. "You wanna repeat that, Number XIV?" I stayed silent, mentally arguing with what I just said. "That's what I thought." How could I let someone like Larxene make fear seep in to my very core when she knew nothing about me? I let a soft sigh escape past my lips as I pinned my ears back, and closed my eyes. "Well, then, I'm sure you all want to get to know the poor thing better. Bye." With that, she disappeared, leaving me with the other Organization members.

"So how'd you end up here in the first place, Shadowx?" Axel asked, looking down at me. I bit my lower lip, and let my breath out.

"I gambled a lot." I replied, perking my ears up at the word.

"That's it?" The male known as Marluxia asked. "Pathetic."

"Let's just say I gambled my own heart against myself." I snapped, venom sinking in to each word. "I lost my heart to a Four of a Kind that night, and I still remember who beat me that night." I chuckled softly at the thought, and moved a stray piece of my black hair behind my ear before removing my hood, perking my ears up when feeling their gaze meet my ears. "What? You've never a Neko in your life before?" I ran my hand through my hair, and sighed softly before moving it behind my ear.

"Not up close and personal." Came a voice. I perked my ears at the voice, and raised an eyebrow at the male who spoke. Blue eyes, almost like crystals, blonde hair, a mullet to be exact, and a cute face. _Very _cute. He smirked down at me, but his smirk disappeared when my mentor shot him a glare. "Oh, come on, Axel. I was just trying to be friendly."

"Well, you can be friendly, and still keep in your pants, Demyx." Axel replied, placing his hand on my shoulder. I could feel that same protection he showed earlier when defending me against Marluxia and Larxene, and I smiled to myself at the feeling. The male known as Demyx blushed at what Axel said, but simply said nothing more before disappearing from the Throne Room. I pinned my ears back when I forced back a small yawn, rubbing my head a little. Axel took note of this, and wrapped his arm around my small shoulders, holding me close to him before leaving with me giving a questioning glance. "It's getting late, and we've got a big day tomorrow, so it'd be best if you get plenty of rest tonight."

"Axel, back in the Throne Room, why did you stick up for me?" I asked, looking at him.

"I am your mentor, so that means I have to look out for you and train you." He started, walking down the long narrow hallway with me. "And everyone in the Organization can sense fear in someone. Larxene took advantage of that 'cause you're our newest member, and aimed for putting you down enough to think that she was right." I pinned my ears back at the words she spoke to me earlier in the Throne Room, and let a soft sigh escape my lips.

"Is everyone like that, or is it just Larxene?" I questioned, looking forward.

"It's just Larxene. I guess she got used to being the only chick in the Organization, she's not fond of having a new member, especially a female join the Organization." Axel stated, his arm still wrapped around my shoulders. Walking further down, we passed large doors, leading in to rooms unknown to me. We soon came to a stop in front of one of them, and he removed his arm from around my shoulders, leaning on the wall beside the door. "This is your room, Shadowx." I looked at him before opening the bedroom door, glad to finally go somewhere when I needed to be alone. "Think of it as, a welcoming from Xemnas."

"Wow..." It left my lips in a whisper, and I walked over to one of the windows, looking up at the heart shaped moon. "So that's Kingdom Hearts, Axel?" I looked over at the male, and he walked over to me, standing beside me, gazing up at the glowing heart.

"Yep. That's Kingdom Hearts." Axel stated, chuckling softly to himself. "It's beautiful, isn't it, Shadowx?"

"Yeah, beautiful." I said, looking at it. It's luminous glow shone through the window, illuminating where Axel and I stood. I smiled to myself, and closed my eyes, pinning my ears back before feeling Axel place his hand underneath my chin and gently making me look at him. Taking notice of the single tear that slid down my cheek, he wiped it away with his thumb, and smiled when taking notice of my eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you that when you stand in the moonlight, it's as if it reflects in your eyes?" He questioned, moving a stray piece of hair out of my eyes.

"Not until now," I said, blushing lightly at his statement. "Thank you, Axel."

"No need to take me, Shadowx. Just don't forget it." Axel said, smiling softly down at me. "We'll be getting up early, so I expect you to be in the Gray Room at eight."

"That's early..." I whispered, biting my lower lip as I blushed lightly again.

"Yeah it is." Axel replied, chuckling softly. "Got it memorized?" He moved my hair behind my ear before removing his hand from my chin and walking to my door, only to be stopped when feeling my arms wrap around his waist from behind.

"Thank you, Axel." I whispered, closing my eyes before removing my arms from around him.

"Don't mention it, Shadowx." Axel said, standing in the doorway. I walked over to the bed, and smiled softly to myself, running my hand over the sheets. "Oh, and Shadowx, you know if you need to train, talk, or just wanna hang around, I'm down the corner at the end of the hallway. Got it memorized?" I looked at him, and nodded at him before he turned away and closed the door behind him.

"Number XIV." I lay on my side on the comforting bed, and looked at the nightstand, catching sight of the collar I would always wear in my past life. I sat up before removing my cloak and putting the collar on again, running my hands over the black leather. I ran my fingers over the engraving on the twin dog tags, feeling my brothers name and my name engraved on each one, and sighed softly before laying back on the bed, closing my eyes as I held the dog tags. "Looks like all I can do right now is do what I'm told, and then plan my escape from here..." I pulled the covers over my body, and lie on my side, sighing softly before closing my eyes. Not long after I had closed my eyes, sleep consumed me.


End file.
